UConn Applications Up 9 Percent Over Last Year

If you're one of the 34,000 freshman applicants to UConn this year, start checking your mailbox this weekend.

If you're one of the more than 34,000 freshman applicants to UConn this year -- a pool that is almost 9 percent larger than last year's -- start checking your mailbox this weekend. Acceptance letters are being mailed Friday.

The 34,019 hopefuls who got in their applications by the Jan. 15 deadline are competing for 3,500 spots at the Storrs campus and an additional 1,400 spots on satellite campuses in Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford, Avery Point and Torrington, according to a release from the school Wednesday. UConn will accept applications for regional campuses until July 1.

Last year, UConn had 31,280 applicants, a pool that included those late regional applications.

Some other interesting notes about this year's applicants:

* The average SAT scores are 13 points higher than last year's.

* About one-third of applicants are minorities.

* About 17,000 applicants are seeking "STEM" field majors -- science, technology, engineering and math -- up 32 percent from four years ago.

Editor's Note: An early version of this story said in-state applications were down compared to last year. The in-state application numbers are not yet complete for this year, and will likely exceed last year's number, according to UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz, as regional campus applications are accepted until July 1.